Spectral photon counting detector

1. An apparatus, comprising: a pulse shaper for receiving signals indicative of detected photons and generating a plurality of pulses therefrom to form a pulse train; and a peak detector for sampling the pulse train at an output of the pulse shaper, the peak detector including a circuit for selectively detecting and sampling a maximum value and a minimum value of the pulse train; an analog to digital converter that coverts the maximum value and the minimum value to a digital maximum value and a digital minimum value; and a time counter that generates a first value for a time clock tick during which the maximum or minimum is detected and a second value for a time clock tick during which the maximum or minimum is not detected; wherein the original pulse train is reconstructed using the digital maximum value, the digital minimum value, the first value, and the second value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the peak detector samples only the maximum and minimum values.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the time counter detects a point in time for the maximum value and a point in time for the minimum value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the point in time is recorded in a bit string format.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one pulse height of individual pulses of the plurality of pulses is reconstructed using the digital maximum value, the digital minimum value, the first value, and the second value.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pulse train is reconstructed in its entirety via test-pixel measurements or CMOS circuit simulations.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a time counter detects a point in time for the maximum and minimum values.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the point in time is recorded in a bit string format.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the maximum and minimum values are subjected to buffering to accommodate phases of interarrival times.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the maximum and minimum values provide for an accurate estimate of pulse heights of the pulse train in which pile-up effects are determinable.

11. A method, comprising: receiving signals indicative of detected photons, via a pulse shaper; generating a plurality of pulses therefrom to form a pulse train; sampling the pulse train at an output of the pulse shaper, via a peak detector; and selectively detecting and sampling a maximum value and a minimum value of the pulse train, via a circuit in the peak detector; converting the maximum value and the minimum value to a digital maximum value and a digital minimum value; generating a first value for a time clock tick during which the maximum or minimum is detected; generating a second value for a time clock tick during which the maximum or minimum is not detected; and reconstructing the original pulse train using the digital maximum value, the digital minimum value, the first value, and the second value.

12. The method of claim 11 , further including sampling only the maximum value and the minimum value.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including detecting a point in time for the maximum and a point in time for the minimum values, via a time counter.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including recording the point in time in a bit string format.

15. The method of claim 11 , further including reconstructing at least one pulse height of individual pulses of the plurality of pulses using the digital maximum value, the digital minimum value, the first value, and the second value.

16. The method of claim 11 , further including reconstructing the pulse train in its entirety via test-pixel measurements or CMOS circuit simulations.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including detecting a point in time for the maximum and minimum values, via a time counter.

18. The method of claim 16 , further including recording the point in time in a bit string format.

19. The method of claim 11 , further including subjecting at least some of the maximum and minimum values to buffering to accommodate phases of interarrival times.

20. The method of claim 11 , further including accurately estimating pulse heights of the pulse train in which pile-up effects are determinable, via the maximum and minimum values.